30 Days of Prayer: Unity of the Pathway Body

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Ephesians 4:1-15

When we talk about unity in the church, I always think back upon this one experience. I was in Turkey for a Christian conference, and in the congregation, we had Israeli and Palestinian Christians worshipping together. It was during this time that a man from the Church in Baku Azerbaijan came over—with a huge smile on his face—loudly crying out “Sister, praise God!” Being Armenian, the last time I had heard Azeri loudly yell something, it had been “Death to all Armenians!” But here we were, all kinds of natural enemies, united in Christ and in worship.

It’s a beautiful thing when what unites us is so much more than what separates us. It makes all of our divisions and fractions seem a little silly. Yes, Church would be easier if it consisted only of people exactly like yourself, but God designed the church for a purpose—a purpose that requires all of us. By uniting together as the Pathway body, we can all experience growth into the types of little Christs that can reach all of Fort Wayne.

Prayer:

Dear Father, teach me to long for unity in your church – help me to set aside my own preferences and always look for ways to demonstrate true love towards others. I especially ask for unity within our Pathway family during this troubling time. Let us grow closer together despite the physical distance we are forced to maintain.

For Reflection:

• “What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything else of that sort. Christians come together because they have all been loved by Jesus himself.” D.A. Carson

By Olga Petrosyan